Hello, again :) Just the usual, mistakes are mine, blah blah blah. Thank you so much for reading and I look forward to any comments :) Just a short note because I updated literally two minutes ago. Enjoy :)

The pair headed back towards the town, Ruby now comfortable with filling in the rest of the blanks in Belle's memories of their time together leading up to the accident. Belle smiled as she imagined all of these events, the walks in the snow with the wolf, the ogres – she was amazed to discover she had actually punched one in the eye. But what she loved most was Ruby's expression while telling these stories; her beautiful eyes glinting, the large smile full of fondness. Belle asked a lot of questions, her curiosity running rampant as Ruby answered all of them as best she could. They were close to the town now, Regina's massive house looming in the distance as they drew closer. As they walked, the terrain changed from soft grass to stony gravel, and Belle was finding it difficult to keep up with Ruby without making her pain obvious.

"Belle, what's wrong?" asked Ruby finally, a few minutes after the grass became gavel.

"Nothing," squeaked Belle, caught by surprise by the question and misplaced her foot, standing on a particularly sharp stone.

"Belle, you aren't wearing shoes," said Ruby, stopping and putting a hand on Belle's arm, turning her to face the wolf-girl.

"And?" replied Belle defensively as she held her breath, not letting the pain show.

"Why have you got no shoes?"

"None of yours fit."

"So you've been walking for the past twenty minutes with no shoes on?"

"Maybe," replied Belle quickly. Ruby stifled a laugh and looked down at the noticeably shorter woman. Ruby had only ever seen her in high heels, and even then she was still short, or when they both weren't wearing shoes.

"You're very odd," stated Ruby fondly.

"You're one to talk," retorted Belle with a laugh. Ruby rolled her eyes and turned around.

"Come on, jump up," she said, sweeping her long hair off of her back.

"What?" asked Belle, confused.

"Jump up, you can't walk on this in your bare feet."

"Ruby, there's no need-"

"Belle, I'm a werewolf, and you're very small. You barely weigh anything."

"I'm not that small," she replied in a defensive tone that made Ruby laugh. But she conceded, and hopped onto Ruby's back, wrapping her arms around her neck – careful not to choke her – and settled herself comfortably while Ruby hoisted her up and began to walk.

"You are that small," said Ruby, knowing it would wind her up.

"I'm hardly the smallest in town."

"But you are small."

"What has my height got to do with anything?"

"Don't you mean your lack of height?" This earned her a playful slap on the cheek. "Hey, I might drop you if you're not careful!" she laughed.

"Like you would," replied Belle. They continued to joke the whole way back to town. As it was still early, not many people were out and about as they emerged from the woods and into the main road, Belle still on Ruby's back. They were only a few streets away now, and Belle was feeling better than she had for a while. Though they hadn't really talked about their relationship, there didn't really seem to be a need to. They were comfortable with each other, and they would cross those bridges when they came to them. Ruby was laughing at one of Belle's terrible retorts as she turned the corner into the street. Regina's was only a few minutes away now. But something made her stop dead in her tracks.

"Gold," she growled quietly. The imp was standing outside of his shop, now he had crossed into the middle of the road, about fifteen metres or so away from the happy pair, his face like thunder.

"Lucas," she heard him whisper like it were a curse. Belle had also seen the man, who now stood opposite them like a rival. Which she supposed they were, to an extent.

"Belle, go to Regina's," said Ruby as she let Belle down.

"No, I'm not going to let you two fight anymore," Belle replied, grasping her arms. This clearly was the wrong thing to do in front of Gold.

"So Lucas," he started, his voice sharp as steel. "Taking advantage of an amnesiac? How very noble of you," he smirked.

"What the hell are you talking about?" asked Ruby, scowling.

"If I'm not mistaken, the lovely librarian spent the night at yours last night. And the night before. You're not exactly being subtly about it, just look at what she's wearing!" he yelled.

"One, that was her choice, and two, I would never-" replied Ruby, equally as angry.

"I don't care! You took her from me, Lucas!"

"She isn't a possession, Gold! She can make her own choices!" Ruby yelled, before adding a small whisper to Belle, who stood by her side, scrutinising Gold as if he were a puzzle to solve. "Go, now. Get Regina. This might not end very well."

"All the more reason to stay," countered Belle defiantly.

"Belle, if you get hurt-"

"Then that will be my own fault, not yours. This is as much about me as anyone."

"When you two are done, can I get a word in?" sneered Gold as he approached, his cane rapping against the pavement. Belle noticed that he was lacking his usual grace and fluency in his words. He was drunk. Very drunk. He stopped a metre from them. "What good can a werewolf do someone like Belle?"

"At least I didn't lock her up for years in an old castle like a slave!"

"No, just a library when she tried to help you."

"Stop this!" ordered Belle, but Gold, held up a hand and pushed a finger to her lips, that she promptly slapped away.

"Quiet, dearie, this is for your own good."

"Don't you touch her!" snarled Ruby, fists clenching.

"Ruby, don't-"

"Listen to her, Lucas."

"Ruby-"

"Oh, the big bad wolf's coming to get me, I'm so scared."

"Shut it, imp!"

"Can you both just calm down?"

"Go away, Gold," sighed Ruby, letting her fury go. She was intensely angry, but she wouldn't do anything that Belle wouldn't like, so she knew she had to be the reasonable one. She began to stalk past him, Belle by her side.

"Giving up, Lucas? Just like you would have given up on Belle?"

"What?" snapped Ruby, whirling round to face him.

"Don't I recall you crying in the woods a while ago and repeating… Oh, what was it?" He put a hand on his chin as he thought. "Yes!" He snapped his fingers. 'He's won. Don't bother. You're no good.' Sound familiar?" he asked, grinning. Ruby grabbed his jacket so fast she was a blur and tossed him a few metres down the road. He landed on his back, chuckling as he got to his feet.

"You little sh-" But she was cut off when Gold's fist lit up with purple smoke and he hurled the fistful at Ruby. Totally taken by surprise by the speed of the attack, she couldn't move in time. She closed her eyes as she threw herself to the side in vain, waiting for the magical blast to hit her. But it never came. Hitting the ground, she leapt up immediately to see Belle standing where Ruby was only a few moments before, her arms outstretched as the smoke poured into her mouth and was absorbed into her chest, her eyes glowing purple, until she crumpled to the ground. Ruby lunged to catch her before she hit the ground.

"What did you do?" she yelled at Gold, who looked thunderstruck, his eyes wide and staring at his own hand.

"I…" he didn't seem to be able to process what he just did. Ignoring him completely, Ruby lifted Belle and ran off as fast as she could to the Mayor's house, the sun pouring down on her as she kicked at the door with her foot, her hands unavailable for knocking. The door soon opened, a jaded looking Regina glaring at her, before she took in the sight of the panting and panicked-looking Ruby holding a very unconscious Belle in her arms.

"Come in," she said, holding the door open wide. "Put her on the couch!" she called after Ruby as the wolf-girl entered and obediently headed for the living room. There, Emma was on her feet, as was Henry, clearing the way for Belle as Ruby laid her down gently.

"What happened?" asked Emma, kneeling next to Belle and checking her pulse and looking under her eyelids to check her pupils. She then sent Henry for a drink for Ruby, who looked like she might have a panic attack soon.

"Gold tried to hit me with some sort of spell. She jumped in front of it for me," said Ruby as she paced the living room, hands running through her hair. Emma got to her feet and tried to calm Ruby down.

"What type of spell?" asked Regina, kneeling down next to Belle, the neatness of her grey dress not her main concern as she examined Belle.

"I don't know!" cried Ruby as she collapsed into the armchair opposite and held her head in her hands. "Big. Purple. Smokey." Regina swore under her breath as she recognised the nature of the spell from her examination coupled with Ruby's small amount of information.

"What is it?" asked Henry, coming back into the room with a glass of water for Ruby, who took it gratefully and downed it quickly and then resumed pacing. Henry stood next to Regina as the Mayor got to her feet and turned to Ruby.

"I'm afraid he's hit her with a memory spell."

"What does that mean?" asked Ruby. Emma stood behind Henry, her hands on his shoulders.

"It means that her memories have been restored…" explained Regina, but she paused.

"Why aren't you looking happy about that?" asked Ruby, verging on panic.

"Because it's not the memories from the magical land that have been restored. It's the memories of the life she would have lived if I hadn't locked her up during the curse."

"So… she's going to be the person from here? Like the Ruby to Red type thing?"

"Yes. But I'm pretty sure that if I had her talisman – the teacup – then I can bring back her other memories." At this, Ruby made for the door, before Emma chased after her, grabbing her arm and whirling her friend around, meeting eye-to-eye. Emma had never seen Ruby look so angry, her irises glowing bright yellow of the wolf.

"Ruby, I'm begging you, don't go after him just now. Let him cool off a bit. There's no need for you to be hurt too."

"Emma, he-"

"Ruby! How do you think Belle will feel if she wakes up with fake memories that never really happened? She needs you right now." Ruby closed her eyes. She knew Emma was right. She felt tears brimming. When she opened her eyes, taking a deep, calming breath, she couldn't help but let a few tears fall down her face. Emma pulled her into a hug as Ruby completely broke down.

"We were so close," she sobbed into Emma's shoulder. Regina and Henry watched the pair from the living room door. "I just told her everything. She seemed just like the old Belle again."

"We'll get her back. I promise."

Ruby sat on the armchair, looking at the peaceful expression on Belle's face. Ruby couldn't tear her eyes away, afraid that if she did, Belle would stop breathing and she'd lose her for good. Not that it would happen, but the way her luck had been going, it was likely. It wasn't fair, she thought. Why was it Charming and Snow got their happy ending, and yet she kept getting so close, and then having it ripped away? Not that she wasn't happy for Snow and Charming, but it just seemed that everyone else was happy with the way things turned out, while she repeatedly got hers stomped on by Gold. Well, at least she seemed better than Gold, she reflected. Belle stirred after a further hour, in which Ruby remained in the armchair, only leaving when Henry and Emma dragged her to eat some lunch, cooked by Regina, and then she was back on the chair, watching over Belle fiercely. Henry had come in and distracted her for a while, which she appreciated and actually enjoyed for a while. They just sat and talked about random things. Ruby made a note to talk to the boy more often, they were pretty good friends. When Belle woke, Ruby was immediately at her side, not sure what to expect.

"Where am I?" she asked groggily. At least she still sounds like Belle, thought Ruby.

"In Regina's house. There was an incident earlier, you were knocked unconscious by Gold."

"Mr Gold? Isn't he that old guy that runs the shop?" she asked, rubbing her head.

"Yes."

"And you're…" she paused, a smirk on her face as she sat up, trying to recall her identity. "Ruby, right?" Ruby nodded.

"Why do I remember seeing a man throw some sort of smoke at me?" she asked, groaning in pain as her headache got worse. Her eyes then flew open as she thought about how that sounded. "Does that sound crazy?" she asked.

"Not really," replied Ruby with a smile. But then she remembered that this Belle wouldn't know about magic, as this was the real world Belle. She would have to explain again, she realised, rolling her eyes. "Listen, Belle-"

"Wait, who's Belle?" asked… Ruby didn't even know who she was.

"Uh… What's your name?" asked Ruby, rubbing her neck. She was tired of this, but instead of fury rearing up inside her as she expected, it was instead just a solemn feeling of resignation. She was done fighting Fate. For the moment at least.

"Lacey," she replied, a tiny hint of flirtatiousness in her voice.

"Lacey, I have to tell you something, and it'll sound crazy, but I swear it's true…"

With a little help from Emma, Regina and Henry, they managed to tell 'Lacey' the entire story about the Enchanted Forest and the curse and everything. Lacey asked minimal questions and listened, scoffing occasionally but she seemed to believe it. When Ruby got to the part about their relationship, she was shocked to see Lacey blatantly check her out and then nod in approval. She still looked like her Belle. Ruby was finding it difficult to work out how she felt about this, so she opted to ignore her emotions until she could deal with them.

"So where do I live?" asked Lacey as she and Ruby finally left the Mayor's house in the early evening.

"Uhm, you lived in the apartment above the library, the Inn, with me and Gold's. Not necessarily in that order," she said as they walked. She felt quite uncomfortable, not yet used to this Lacey. She was brash, crude and altogether not like Belle. She laughed – at least her laugh sounded vaguely like Belle's – and then slid her hands into her back pockets of her jeans.

"But where do I live now?" she asked.

"You were living with Gold while we tried to get your memories back, but then there was the thing and you stayed at mine. If you want, I can get you a room at the Inn, if you want to get used to things. It must be difficult for you."

"That's nice, thanks," said Lacey, smiling warmly for the first time, without any smirking or flirting.